Some sayings about the Sahûr
Since 2012-11-29
It has been reported in the agreed upon Hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, “Eat the meal of the Sahûr (the last light meal before daybreak); surely there is a blessing in Sahûr.” [Agreed upon]
In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the best of mankind, our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family, companions and followers.
It has been reported in the agreed upon Hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, “Eat the meal of the Sahûr (the last light meal before daybreak); surely there is a blessing in Sahûr.” [Agreed upon]
All praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the best of mankind, our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family, companions and followers.
It has been reported in the agreed upon Hadith that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, “Eat the meal of the Sahûr (the last light meal before daybreak); surely there is a blessing in Sahûr.” [Agreed upon]
«تسحروا فإن في السحور بركة» متفق عليه
In this great Hadith the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, orders his nation to take the Sahûr which is eating and drinking in the time before daybreak, in preparation for fasting. He mentions the philosophy of having the Sahûr which is obtaining the blessing.
Blessing is the descent of Divine goodness into things, as well as establishing it. It is the increase in the boon and in the reward, and in all that the slave of Allah needs of the benefits of this worldly life and the Hereafter.
However, it is noticed on some fasting people that they do not care about the Sahûr or that they delay having it. They may not have it at all, or that it might be eaten in the middle of the night or before going to sleep. This happens either because they fear that they will not wake up, or that they wish to sleep for longer hours, or that because of their lack of interest in this meal and its blessing, or that because of their ignorance of its importance or for many other reasons.
This is wrong. It should be avoided by the fasting person as it contradicts the Sunnah, it deprives the Muslim from the blessing of Sahûr, and so a fasting person should take the Sahûr. He should delay having it to the time just before dawn, even if it was a small meal because of its great blessings and boon. Here are, O fasting Muslim, some words about the blessings, boons and secrets attained by the Sahûr:
The first: it is responding to the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and it is enough of an honor and virtue to obey him. Allah Almighty has said, {He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allâh} [An-Nisâ' 4:80]
Blessing is the descent of Divine goodness into things, as well as establishing it. It is the increase in the boon and in the reward, and in all that the slave of Allah needs of the benefits of this worldly life and the Hereafter.
However, it is noticed on some fasting people that they do not care about the Sahûr or that they delay having it. They may not have it at all, or that it might be eaten in the middle of the night or before going to sleep. This happens either because they fear that they will not wake up, or that they wish to sleep for longer hours, or that because of their lack of interest in this meal and its blessing, or that because of their ignorance of its importance or for many other reasons.
This is wrong. It should be avoided by the fasting person as it contradicts the Sunnah, it deprives the Muslim from the blessing of Sahûr, and so a fasting person should take the Sahûr. He should delay having it to the time just before dawn, even if it was a small meal because of its great blessings and boon. Here are, O fasting Muslim, some words about the blessings, boons and secrets attained by the Sahûr:
The first: it is responding to the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and it is enough of an honor and virtue to obey him. Allah Almighty has said, {He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allâh} [An-Nisâ' 4:80]
{مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ} النساء: 80
Transliteration: Man Yuţi`i Ar-Rasūla Faqad 'Aţā`a Allāha
And {And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it} [Al-Hashr 59:7]
{وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ} الحشر: 7
Transliteration: Wa Mā 'Ātākumu Ar-Rasūlu Fakhudhūhu
And He has said {And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and will be admitted to Paradise).} [Al-Ahzâb 33:71]
{وَمَن يُطِعْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً} الأحزاب: 71
Transliteration: Wa Man Yuţi`i Allāha Wa Rasūlahu Faqad Fāza Fawzāan `Ažīmāan
The Second: the Sahûr is the emblem of Muslims, and that it contravenes with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), as it differentiates between our fasting and theirs.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: “The difference between our Fasting and that of the people of the Scripture is the meal taken before dawn.” [Reported by Muslim]
«فصل ما بين صيامنا وصيام أهل الكتاب أكلة السحر» رواه مسلم
The Third: it is a means of the occurrence of goodness and of preserving it. It is narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, “Hasten the breaking of the fast and delay taking the Sahûr.” [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
«عجلوا الإفطار، و أخروا السحور» صححه الألباني
The Fourth: in the Sahûr there are strength for obedience, assistance for worship and an increase in activity and production, the one who is hungry and thirsty lacks the vigor to worship or to work.
The Fifth: Allah sends His Salât (Graces, Honors, Blessings, Mercy) on those who take the Sahûr and so do His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive them). Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated in the traceable Hadith that, “Allah sends His Salât (Graces, Honors, Blessings, Mercy) on those who take the Sahûr and so do His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive them).” [Narrated by ibn Habbân, At-Tabarâni (in Al-Awsat: the Middle) and considered good by Al-Albâni]
«إن الله وملائكته يصلون على المتسحرين» رواه ابن حبان، والطبراني في الأوسط، وحسنه الألباني
The Sixth: the Sahûr repels bad manners which are being evoked by hunger.
The Seventh: the time of Sahûr is a blessed time, it is the time when Allah descends to the first heaven – as befits His Glory. It is the time of answering the invocations and it is the time of forgiving lapses. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” [Reported by Muslim]
«ينزل ربنا إلى سماء الدنيا كل ليلة حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر فيقول: من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر له» رواه مسلم
Therefore the faithful elite are open to the graces and mercy of their Lord at this blessed time. They start performing acts of worship in submissiveness to Him, they beseech Him, they invoke Him for their wishes which He has promised to respond to by the words of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Hence, he who wakes up to take the Sahûr is apt to attain this great virtue.
The Eighth: if not the best, the last hours of the night are of the best times for asking for forgiveness. How could this be not true and that Allah Glorified and Exalted has commended the people who ask for forgiveness at this time by saying, {and those who pray and beg Allâh’s Pardon in the last hours of the night} [Al-'Imrân: 17]
{وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالأَسْحَارِ} آل عمران:17
Transliteration: Wa Al-Mustaghfirīna Bil-'Asĥāri
And {And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allâh) for forgiveness} [Az-Zâriyât: 18]. Therefore waking up to have the Sahûr is a means of attaining this virtue as well as of gaining the different blessings of forgiveness.
{وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ} الذاريات:18
Transliteration: Wa Bil-'Asĥāri Hum Yastaghfirūna
The Ninth: taking the Sahûr is more guaranteeing to answer the caller for the Fajr (dawn) prayer, and praying in congregation; to which the reward and merit are not concealed.
The Tenth: it is more guaranteeing to perform the Fajr prayer in its due time in congregation, as the sleeper may lose performing the prayer on time.
This is observed. The number of people who pray the Fajr in congregation in Ramadan is by far greater than in any other time because of the Sahûr.
The Eleventh: taking the Sahûr in itself is an act of worship if one intends it to be strong in obeying Allah and in following the teachings of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The Twelfth: when a fasting person takes the Sahûr, he will not be bored of repeating the fasting; nevertheless, he will be eager to perform it contrary to those who miss the Sahûr; they find it hard to repeat performing it.
The Thirteenth: Allah Glorified and exalted blesses the deeds of the one who takes the Sahûr, so he is guided to perform righteous deeds. Fasting will not hinder him from observing the prayers or saying the daily remembrances of Allah, it will not make it heavy for him to perform the optional acts of worship, enjoining Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). On the other hand, if one misses taking the Sahûr then fasting will make it heavy for him to perform righteous deeds.
The previous are the blessings of having the Sahûr. As a whole the blessings of the Sahûr are abundant and cannot be calculated or beheld. Allah Glorified and Exalted has in His Laws wisdom and secrets by which the minds are confused; they may not attain from them but very little.
So it is worthy of us to remind ourselves of these great meanings and that we should not waste such magnanimous good. It is worthy of us to recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma‘ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar which Allâh has forbidden] we should recommend ourselves and others to Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) Thus, we will become of those who listen to words but follow the most virtuous of them.
Oh Allah, bestow upon us Your blessings and goodness, and grant us success in following the orders of Your Book and of the Sunnah of Your Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. The last of our invocation is that all the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
Ibn Khuzaymah
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